There are not many patient feedback sites for this surgery that are current so I thought I would send an update. I had the surgery 3 weeks ago after suffering from chronic BPPV for 5+ years. I made the decision to have the surgery after a year of 17+ Epleys to no avail. I think those little crystals were just pouring out of their home. The issues started affecting my work and personal life - having to take anti-anxiety pills and anti-nausea drugs. At times I was borderline depressed. My ENT finally said, that this was the only thing that in the long run would probably stop the issue. Post surgery, I was in the hospital for 5 days. The feeling was one of complete disorientation but not vertigo and they would not let me leave until I could be "safe" at home. It definately was a different feeling - I could "see" my heart beat and the fullness of the ear was disturbing. But the PT team helped me understand that I needed to start doing eye rehab and walking. By the time I left the hospital, I could walk with a cane. It is critical that you do the exercises (I was able to have an in-home therapist come once per week). After a couple days at home, I felt so much better. Still unstable that first week, but so much better. The third week, the PT was more combinations of walking, head and eye movements. I was able to get in the car as a passenger and not feel nauseous. In total I am off work for 4 weeks (that's next week). The 4th week, I need to start driving. I have had no real pain in the surgical area that wasn't able to be managed by Tylenol 3. They gave me steriods for the first 3 days inpatient to help with swelling. I haven't been able to actually lay on the affected side yet because my ear still hurts a little, but I have been able to put my head in positions that I never would do before. I stand straight and no longer have the head tilt that I have had for 5+ years. I need to get my glasses changed because I have transitional bi-focals and the glasses contribute to my current inbalance. But the ENT said to not change them until I was more stable. I have no hearing loss yet and have always had tinnitus and it isn't any worse. Overall, at 3 weeks post surgery, I feel like the decision to block the canal was the right one. I'm crossing my fingers that this will be the end and I won't get BPPV in the other ear! I would recommend this surgery for those that are at the ends of their ropes. Find a surgeon who does this surgery routinely. There is a group in Michigan that is a prominent center for ear surgery both for BPPV and Menieres. There is hope.

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Chipper1945 (08-21-2012)

Here is an update. 3 months post surgery. No hearing loss! Still a little off balance at times, but no vertigo. It isn't a "back to normal" feeling yet (I'm not sure I actual know what normal should feel like) but it is a much better place. Doctor says recovery has been excellent, probably due to my continued work on the balance exercises. I had a minor panic once, because I got a migraine that caused dizziness and I almost freaked. But it was only the migraine not any failure of the surgery. I do not regret the decision.

thankyou for your update. that's great you're doing well! i've ignored my left side for 5 1/2 years and one day decided to rotate my head for neck exercies and about 1 month later i got bppv again. i've still been unable to feel comfortable on my bad side but have been thinking about surgery for almost 7 years now but am still very scared. what do you mean by off balance feeling? can you work and drive and walk without a cane? can you sleep on the side you had surgery on? thankyou and hope you're recovery gets better!

5 months.. I can drive, walk without a cane and pretty much do alot of things I stopped doing. 8 weeks before I drove and 10 weeks before I didn't need the cane. I can sleep on my bad side, but because I haven't for years, it isn't comfortable any more, so I dont. I can sleep on my back and move my head to both sides. I can look up at the sky, too. Things I haven't done yet - no bike riding and no hard exercise. I periodically feel a little off balance.. I call it wobbly - but nothing crazy like before.. There are some fast head movements that take a little longer to recover from - it isn't vertigo, though. I also tend to walk slower and with more purpose than before. I tire more quickly too. My brain is still learning, maybe. I'm in my mid 50s so it may be the extent of my relearning. Just not sure. Have my 6 month check up next month. I was pretty aggressive with my VRT in the first 3 months, so I made alot of progress. I do not regret having the surgery, but it wasn't a slam dunk recovery.

Will you tell me what the name of this condition is and what are all the symptoms? Is this know as ear rocks? I have off balance feeling after having ear infection and have not been the same in four months. I'm scared about this. I think I have had somekind of damage although the ent hasn't found it. You just know when your not quite right. How did this all start for you? Did any medical treatments actually ever do any good besides the surgery? I don't have any insurance and can't afford thousands of doctor bills for treatments or meds that don't work. I have already spent over a thousand dollars and I am not any better for it. Because of this I am very discouraged with the medical profession.

We are referring to Benign positional paroxysmal vertigo, it has to do with crystals in the semi circular canals of you ear being dislodged and sending confusing signals to your brain that can give you varying symptoms of dizziness/vertigo,imbalance and other such issues. Do a google search and visit some sites for more information. They can not see the crystals, so your DR has to diagnose you by way of various movement tests and a process of elimination basically. Very few people require surgery as it can be treated most of the time with simple exercises and the surgery itself is very hard to get a DR to perform here in the States.
Long story short, I was scheduled for it, but opted against it as I was improving and it seems as though misdiagnosed as I now am being successfully treated for migraine associated vertigo.
My advice is to be as patient as possible as these types of issues are so difficult to diagnose, but don't give up and don' t let the DR's push you around. Best of luck!

I personally felt a constant sense of imbalance and a constant pulsing/bouncy visual sensation that was worsened by bending over and moving my head in any direction too quickly. My episodes always happen with extreme neck ache and/or head ache as well. I never consistently tested positive for BPPV, but rather randomly showed nystagmus and imbalance which can be present with MAV (migraine associated vertigo).